Posts
25
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
US
Edited Date/Time
1/25/2012 8:11pm
While cleaning out the garage about 6 months ago I came across my old 86 Honda Cr125. It was under a bunch of crap and I had know idea we still had it. The last time it ran was the 1987 Golden State series 125 int class at Huron went 4-8 for 6th overall if I remember right. Bummed with my results, I told my dad it was because the bike was "too old and slow"...what a dumb kid. It had a mugen cylinder ported by fmf, mugen intake and reeds, fmf cone pipe and silencer tuned for the mugen jug, bored carb, factory showa cartridge forks, Ohlins shock, Baja cross rims (now called excel), and other goodies. Being young and dumb, I insisted that my results would improve with a new RM250. Well they got worse. I realized the 86 CR was an awesome bike.
Ascot Park circa 1986
[img:2297e]http://www.pilot-odyssey.com/8525687400459A41/0/1B1D28FBD7E028BC0525712…]
My nephew was born in 86. He saw the bike sitting there in a pile of junk and said "That thing is too old, I bet it was slow". I immediately told him how fast it was and how many races I won on it and blah blah blah...you know all the old guy stuff...the older I get the faster I was stuff. I told him that it could probably still do ok in the 125 class if set up right. He laughed and said "lets try it then".
Well, we put the stock cylinder back on with new piston and rings, changed the spark plug, put in a new water pump, tightened all the bolts and washed it. After 20 years it started right up! We even used the 20 year old rock hard Yokohama tires with only half the knobbies!
Glen Helen circa 2006
[img:2297e]http://www.pilot-odyssey.com/8525687400459A41/0/1B1D28FBD7E028BC0525712…]
We took it to glen helen and Chris signed up in the 125 novice class...about 22 riders. Well, it didn't start for practice so Chris missed practice, but he made it to his first moto. He got a last place start and smoked (literally) the entire first lap. I guess it had to blow out 20 years of carbon. He passed a couple 250f's but fell 3 times during the race and only beat one guy. The Second moto was better. He ran in 5th for most of the race beating a bunch of 250f's and new 125s in the process. He ended the moto in 7th after a late race bobble. It was so cool to see the old bike out there battling with today's 4-strokes. My nephew had a blast and only had this to say, "It sounded fast and turned good...but man the 250f's were killing me on the straights...it was just too old and slow." Dumb kid:D.
Ascot Park circa 1986
[img:2297e]http://www.pilot-odyssey.com/8525687400459A41/0/1B1D28FBD7E028BC0525712…]
My nephew was born in 86. He saw the bike sitting there in a pile of junk and said "That thing is too old, I bet it was slow". I immediately told him how fast it was and how many races I won on it and blah blah blah...you know all the old guy stuff...the older I get the faster I was stuff. I told him that it could probably still do ok in the 125 class if set up right. He laughed and said "lets try it then".
Well, we put the stock cylinder back on with new piston and rings, changed the spark plug, put in a new water pump, tightened all the bolts and washed it. After 20 years it started right up! We even used the 20 year old rock hard Yokohama tires with only half the knobbies!
Glen Helen circa 2006
[img:2297e]http://www.pilot-odyssey.com/8525687400459A41/0/1B1D28FBD7E028BC0525712…]
We took it to glen helen and Chris signed up in the 125 novice class...about 22 riders. Well, it didn't start for practice so Chris missed practice, but he made it to his first moto. He got a last place start and smoked (literally) the entire first lap. I guess it had to blow out 20 years of carbon. He passed a couple 250f's but fell 3 times during the race and only beat one guy. The Second moto was better. He ran in 5th for most of the race beating a bunch of 250f's and new 125s in the process. He ended the moto in 7th after a late race bobble. It was so cool to see the old bike out there battling with today's 4-strokes. My nephew had a blast and only had this to say, "It sounded fast and turned good...but man the 250f's were killing me on the straights...it was just too old and slow." Dumb kid:D.
put the mugen stuff back on and add another race report
Here is a pic of the start. Smoke and all.
[img:0067b]http://www.pilot-odyssey.com/pilot-odyssey/home.nsf/0/a8a0269bc76ea1880…]
How about an old skool x-up?
[img:0067b]http://www.pilot-odyssey.com/pilot-odyssey/home.nsf/0/a8a0269bc76ea1880…]
The Shop
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
Free shipping: VITALMX
Good stuff.
It is pretty funny how big of a deal people think a 'brand new' bike makes.
Can I race it?
Do one thing before you put the Mugen stuff back on: change the crank seals!!! 20 year old crank seals are probably as hard as those tires are and I'm surprised the bike didn't blow up. Now that I think of it, all that smoke was probably trans oil being sucked into the crankcase. I think you got lucky!!
I still believe a good running 87 CR125 could easily be competative in 125C or even B class.
Did the waterpump look like this?
[img:8e60b]http://new.onthepiperacing.com/uploads/gallery/misc/Rot.jpg[/img:8e60b]
In '85 I was racing an '81 YZ125 in the Novice class. Top 3 every weekend and won a few too. My last race on that bike was at Burleson where, sure enough, [color=red:34e61]blew the crank out of it[/color:34e61]. Kid would walk up to me after practice or a moto and ask if it was a factory bike (radiator was i=on the forks). Good times.
Sold it to a co-worker for $125 and bought a used '84 KX125.
In '85 I was racing an '81 YZ125 in the Novice class. Top 3 every weekend and won a few too. My last race on that bike was at Burleson where, sure enough, [color=red:f6108]blew the crank out of it[/color:f6108]. Kid would walk up to me after practice or a moto and ask if it was a factory bike (radiator was i=on the forks). Good times.
Sold it to a co-worker for $125 and bought a used '84 KX125.[/quote:f6108]
That was crazy racing an 81 in 85
I was racing an 83 CR125 in 1985 and I was outgunned on that.
Amazing how times change.
[img:33f1b]http://new.onthepiperacing.com/uploads/gallery/album59/dog_eat_dog.size…]
-Steve
Pit Row
-Steve[/quote:82d8b]
Haaa It's toooooo clean to ride
[img:82d8b]http://new.onthepiperacing.com/uploads/gallery/albun57/P5200012.jpg[/im…]
I may ride the junker instead.
[img:82d8b]http://new.onthepiperacing.com/uploads/gallery/albun60/86KX_001.jpg[/im…]
[/img]
Twizzler
You need that bike, better hurry before someone else gets it.
Then you will be kicking yourself.
In all of your professional opinions, what year bike could still be competitive today for the average B/C/vet rider?
I am going to tear the whole thing down to the frame and put all the good stuff back on it. Chris wants to give it another shot with good tires and fresh suspension. We are going to go through the entire motor so there are no excuses. I still have the all white mugen seat, white side panels and all the mugen stickers and stuff. For some reason I thought white was lame back in the day lol...I even have an aluminum tank for it somewhere. Hopefully it will look and run awesome. Then back out on the track it goes
That was crazy racing an 81 in 85
I was racing an 83 CR125 in 1985 and I was outgunned on that.
Amazing how times change.[/quote:bfea9]
I dunno ever ride those early YZ's? My 81 and 82 YZ125s would have destroyed my 84 CR125! Although the CR handled better and had better suspension. MP
One of my all time favorite fun fast bikes to ride was that 82 RM125...Wish I had one now
I have a Buddy that has a Mugen top end for sale that will fit 87-89 cr 125's if anybody is intrested.
Post a reply to: 1986 CR125 20 years later and still fast?